RoadVitals

2008 Pontiac Torrent

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
125
Latest May 1, 2026
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
7
10 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 125 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2008 Pontiac Torrent, most frequently naming the airbags, fuel system and driver assistance categories. 913 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Airbags
Filed May 1, 2026

My sons who is a new driver and has a 2008 Pontiac torrent recently has had the passenger air bag light come on saying passenger airbag off when someone is sitting in the seat so I brought it in and was told that it could possibly be fixed but it’s not a guarantee that it will fix the problem and it will cost over $2500 for a maybe it’ll fix it and they had also indicated that if he was to get in a crash, the airbags will not go off because of this

NHTSA ID
11735172
Incident
May 1, 2026
ElectricalEngineFuel system
Filed Mar 19, 2026

Electrical problems have been occurring. My lights keep getting dim, then bright. Check engine light is on, the truck is making a loud noise, overheating, battery draining fast. Please note that the battery is new, starter is new, water pump is new , I got new engine fans, radiator and the truck is still running hot, battery dies over night. I need some help this is my only vehicle and I've spent thousands of dollars trying to get this truck right over the years. Are there any affordable warranty plans available for assistance?

NHTSA ID
11725433
Incident
Mar 11, 2020
Body & structure
Filed Feb 3, 2025

The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac Torrent. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle was vibrating excessively. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the rear sub frame had an excessive amount of rust. The vehicle was not repaired due to the rear wheel assembly detaching from the excessive amount of rust. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle remained at the residence and had not been driven since the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.

NHTSA ID
11640482
Incident
Mar 11, 2024
Mileage
165,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Feb 3, 2023

The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac Torrent. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated while the front passenger seat was not occupied. The vehicle was diagnosed and a failure code for the passenger presence system (PPS) was retrieved. The contact was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V061000 (Air Bags) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not yet taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.

NHTSA ID
11505419
Incident
Jan 3, 2022
Mileage
125,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Nov 28, 2021

Service air bag light continually goes on and of randomly, at times does not recognize when someone is sitting in the passenger seat. This is a serious problem because when air bag light is on it disables the air bags which won’t deploy in a crash. I found that they recall the 2007 models for this exact problem, Now is the time to recall the 2008 for the exact same problem. This is a dealer only part which they gave me an estimate to fix of $900 if I could get a aftermarket part I would replace myself. Come on Gm recall this ongoing serious safety hazard!!!!

NHTSA ID
11441849
Incident
Nov 28, 2021
Airbags
Filed Nov 16, 2021
Crash reported2 injuries reported

The contact's friend owed a 2008 Pontiac Torrent. The contact stated while the owner was driving at an unknown speed when he fell asleep and rear-ended a semi-truck. The contact was seated at the front passenger side and the air bag did not deploy but the front driver side air bag did deploy. The contact stated the driver had a laceration on his right arm and she had lacerations on the top right forehead, lip, and right nostril. The contact stated they both sought medical attention and she was needing cosmetic surgery for her nose. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact stated she the insurance deemed the vehicle a total loss. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location. The vehicle was not diagnosed. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID
11440620
Incident
Nov 11, 2021
Airbags
Filed Oct 27, 2020

AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON

NHTSA ID
11366679
Incident
Oct 26, 2020
Airbags
Filed Aug 17, 2020

THE VEHICLES AIRBAG SYSTEM WAS INTERMITTENT ON SHOWING THE AIRBAG LIGHT (SERVICE AIRBAG SOON). ALSO THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT GOES FROM ON TO OFF PERIODICALLY AND NOW LATER ON MONTHS LATER THE SYSTEM ALWAYS STAYS ON OFF EVEN WHEN SOMEONE IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I HAVE READ ABOUT OTHERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE ON THEIR 2007 MODEL TORRENTS AND THEY HAVE A TSB FOR A RECALL ON THIS. HOWEVER MY 2008 TORRENT DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL? THIS IS UNSAFE, TOO EXPENSIVE FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON TO PAY TO FIX, AND A PROBLEM GM SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO FIX FOR USING FAULTY SRS COMPONENTS.

NHTSA ID
11349766
Incident
Jul 17, 2020
Mileage
125,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

13598

New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH

PIC5650M

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on. Technician may find Diagnostic Trouble Codes B3055, B3060, B3935, C0750, C0755, C0760, C0765, and/or C0775.

PIP5601C

This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.

PIT5074R

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.

PIT5074R

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.

PIT5074R

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Pontiac Torrent by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2014000
2009170037.3
2008Viewing1250036.2
20072434046.8
20062400037.9

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.